Our research showed that implanted medical device use among a younger population is exploding at a rate much faster than the traditional Medicare crowd that historically has received the majority of these devices. Younger patients now comprise the fastest-growing market for many medical devices. This is especially true in the areas of chronic pain management, movement disorders and other forms of neuromodulation. But it is also true with artificial hips and knees and, to a lesser extent, pacemakers and defibrillators. Younger patients ARE the dramatic growth market in the U.S. for the medical technology industry. While this expanding market provides a boon for med tech, it also creates new challenges and raises new questions. Are the devices that now will be in human bodies last much longer than in the past able to hold up to the increased wear and tear that comes with a younger population? In their rush to develop new uses and broader markets for their technology, are medical device companies doing enough to ensure patient safety? Are government regulators adequately challenging the med-tech industry to ensure devices not only work, but will do no harm?
